Canada: Police Confirm Probe into Alleged Officer Texts Celebrating Trampling Protesters

Frances Martel

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) published a statement on Sunday confirming it is “looking into” alleged screenshots of text messages circulating this weekend that appear to show Canadian officers celebrating police brutality against the Ottawa Freedom Convoy protesters.

Law enforcement began a violent operation this weekend against the Freedom Convoy, a peaceful protest movement seeking an end to civil rights violations like vaccine and mask mandates, business lockdowns, and other coronavirus-related government limitations on freedom. The Convoy is largely trucker-led and has consisted of large trucks occupying major cities and blocking international road crossings. Its largest iteration was in Ottawa, where police dispatched officers on horseback to attack unarmed protesters beginning on Friday and have reportedly arrested nearly 200 people, despite no reports of significant violence prior to the police’s arrival.

“The RCMP is aware of the material circulating on social media pertaining to a chat group that includes some of its members, and we can confirm that we are looking into the matter,” the agency said in a statement on Sunday. “This material is not representative of those who have committed themselves to serving Canadians with integrity and professionalism.”

The statement claimed that RCMP officials had “put in place measures to ensure the continued integrity of police operations as well as the safety of our members.” It also reiterated that police officers have a “responsibility to hold themselves to the highest professional standards and are subject to the Code of Conduct of the RCMP at all times.”